Recreational sports participation is where most people get started in any sport. The two main differences between recreational and competitive sport are; difficulty or skill-level, and intensity.

The goals of a sports competitor are different from a recreational participant. In contrast to a competitive sports-specialist athlete, someone new to a sport, may not have a high level of interest or commitment in a particular sport, yet.

There is a Life-Cycle that begins with recreational sport participation, that may progress through a competitive phase, and then return to a recreational sports participation focus.  Not all athletes compete.  Some enjoy sport without entering a competitive stage, and continue their sporting experience without competing.

There are a variety of roles that make up the sporting experience; student, athletes, instructors, coaches, parents, fans, parents, sporting officials (judges, referees, etc.).  Throughout the Life-Cycle of sports participation, a participant may Login or Register to read full text...